A Gift For Jade
by Sapphire.Nebula
Summary: Peony gives Jade a present that wasn't exactly what Jade ever wanted. A JadexDist fanfic. Rating just to be safe.
1. In Which Jade Receives His Present

It was turning out to be a horrible day.

Not only was Dist in Franz's-err, Peony's-palace, but he was tied up, gagged, and left behind said blonde's throne. As a "gift to Jade" apparently. Gift, indeed. Dist was sure that he would be gutted and skinned by the days' end. Certainly not the way he wanted to go.

Struggling with his bonds proved futile, as Dist realized after trying to free his hands for the umpteenth time. And the gag tasted horrible. Upon reflection, he thought that it was probably used to wipe the rappigs after a bath. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the stupid creatures - Aslan by the looks of it - and he knew that the emperor and that long-haired conniving… well, Jade would be here soon. Dist sullenly hung his head. _My time is up_, he thought, _I'll probably end up as a rug on Jade's floor. Never cleaned, just doused in perfume every so often to keep the smell of my rotting corpse at bay. Oh, Yulia… Oh, Lorelei… Oh… I suppose Professor Nebilim will also be in the afterlife._

And while Dist was pondering all of this, Peony and Jade had walked into the room.

"Why do I need to be here, your Highness? It's _my_ birthday, and I would be much happier drinking wine in the privacy of my own home," Jade said dryly. Honestly, Peony was a good friend and all of that malarkey, but he could be as eccentric as Saphir when left to his own devices.

Peony rolled his eyes. Jade could be such a downer sometimes. "I went far out of my way to get you a gift. At least find out what it is before you run off to drink," Peony snorted.

By this time, the lowly God-General had noticed the pair's arrival. He felt the urge to start a dramatic inner monologue, but decided against it since no one would hear it anyway. _It would have been one for the ages_, he assured himself.

Jade looked around the room and shrugged. "I see no present, unless you're thinking of abdicating," he stated in his classic sarcastic tone, "and by that observation, I think I will take my leave now."

Before Jade could turn even half of the way around, Peony had grabbed his shoulder. "Leave now and I will be forced to send my entire army after you to bring you back here or kill you, whichever they prefer," he growled.

Pausing to look the other man over, Jade asked, "well, where is this amazing present, then?" Peony grinned. "Right behind my throne," he informed the colonel.

Dist's heart raced. _No, no, no! So soon? He should leave and drink himself sick. A fine idea! I suppose I could use one…_ He shook his head and forced his train of thought to get back on track. …_I don't want to be a rug! My beauty won't be appreciated! _Then, he noticed a shadow on the floor.

Jade observed his "gift". Was this it? _Really_? Frowning, he knelt down and tilted Saphir's head up to get a better look at the idiot's face. Terror danced in his eyes. Good. As it should. Still, Jade didn't want him. What use could he really have? Other than teasing him, there wasn't much he wanted to do with him. It might be fun to burn those ridiculous frills, though…

"So!" Peony chirped, "do you like him?" Jade stood up. "I've never liked him," he answered.

The emperor sighed, "oh, come on! Think of the things he can do for you!"

_As in…?_ Jade pondered. "I suppose he could clean. And I could beat him when I get angry," Dist emitted what sounded like a squawk at this, "I can't find much use for him, really," Jade admitted with a shrug.

"You're so dense sometimes, Jade," the blonde said in a motherly tone. "What do you mean…?" Jade asked slowly. "_Obviously_, Jade. You could use him for sex!"

Silence engulfed the room.

"No."

"Jade! It's a great idea--!"

"**No**."

Dist stiffened. Sex? He would be Jade's personal _whore_? Never, no, not in a million years. He wiggled uncomfortably. Maybe… if Jade was going to beat him if he didn't submit… but he wouldn't enjoy it! Nope. Not a bit.

Even completely silent, Jade could tell what was going through Saphir's slightly crazed mind. Pathetic.

Peony decided to speak up again, "well, if you don't want him," he began, grinning at Jade.

"You'll throw him in the garbage? That _is_ where he belongs, you know."

"No. I'll gladly take Saphir off of your hands," Peony chirped again, advancing towards a wide-eyed Saphir.

For some reason, the thought of Peony touching Saphir like that irritated him. Really, it shouldn't even phase him, but oddly enough… "I'll take him," Jade announced rather loudly.

The other two looked at the brunette, back at each other, and back at Jade who, at this time, was feeling a little uncomfortable.

"I knew you would come around," Peony informed Jade, walking towards him to pat him on the back. "Yes… of course." "Oh, wow. Don't hurt yourself with all of that excitement, Jade," Peony said, rolling his eyes, "untie him or something."

Jade frowned and made his way over to Saphir. He looked the God-General over and took the saliva soaked rag out of his mouth. After several moments, Jade pinched Saphir's cheek. "Say something, idiot."

"Don't call me that! My name is Dist," he commanded, looking up at the taller man and shaking slightly, "and stop pinching me." Dist talked big, but when it came right down to it, he was completely helpless. Especially now.

The colonel smiled an evil smile. "No," he began, slowly, "Your name is Saphir, and you will call me Master Curtiss. If you want to live that is." Oh, this would be fun. Not that he would ever go out of his way to kill his old "friend", but Saphir didn't know that.

Dist…Saphir shivered. This couldn't be happening. In fact, it wasn't, so there. Why Curtiss, anyway? Saphir had always preferred Balfour. "W-What about Master _Balfour_?" he asked, trying to sound cocky, but he just sounded frightened and hopeless.

Without a moment of hesitation, Jade backhanded Saphir across the face, _hard_. "Master Curtiss, if you please, Saphir," he said, utterly calm.

The force of the blow made a small amount of blood exit Saphir's nose. His face stung and he felt like crying, but he held in his tears. _I'm weak enough, _Saphir decided, _there's not need to give him the satisfaction of crying. But, Lorelei, it hurts…_ He took in a weak, shuddering breath, "Yes, Master Curtiss."

"Jade, was that really necessary?" Peony butted in, concerned.

"Not at all. Although, it worked like a charm," Jade stated, smirking at his prisoner.

A horrible day, indeed.


	2. In Which Jade Bothers His Present

The Curtiss mansion was dark, dusty, and would be devoid of human life-as it normally was-if Jade Curtiss and his present weren't inside it. Jade never really enjoyed it in here, but he took comfort in the fact that Saphir was considerably less thrilled. Indeed, while his hands were no longer bound together, they were shaking. It seemed that Saphir's nose was also running, judging by all of the sniffling. Really, he could at least _try_ to act dignified.

_Why is Jade even doing this in the first place? He could have just let me go, not that he ever would… oh, how I hate him!_ Saphir's thought process had been, essentially, that ad nauseam ever since they had arrived at the mansion. No, today wasn't horrible. It was hellish, and "Master Curtiss" was Saphir's personal Lucifer. _Of course_, he thought, _I probably could have made a break for it… though, I do prefer my stomach spear free._

Jade led the pale-haired man into a small room with a proportionally small bed in the corner. "Wait here until I find a use for you, Saphir," he ordered sternly and left to do Yulia knows what. Saphir sat on the bed and let his imagination run wild. What if he was preparing a torture chamber? Sharpening an ax or sticking shards of glass into a freshly acquired cat-o-nine tails… no good would come of this situation, he just knew it.

Truth of the matter was, Jade was fixing lunch (nothing special, just a sandwich). Saphir had always been too skinny. He also slipped a low strength tranquilizer into the food, that man was so jumpy. While he won't be as easy to tease; at least he won't be as annoying.

The wait for Jade's return wasn't exactly a long one, but Saphir had already curled up on the bed and attempted to fall asleep. His plans were ruined, as they always were, by Jade when he walked into the other man's temporary quarters. It was only when the colonel slammed the door, however, that Saphir jumped up and took notice. He sat upright on the bed, eyes wide and his hair all over the place, before he realized that Jade wasn't dragging him into a pot of boiling oil or anything of that horrid sort and calmed himself a bit.

"What do you want, Master Curtiss?" Saphir asked, trying to keep his voice from cracking. "My dear Saphir," Jade began sarcastically, waving something square shaped, "I just want to feed you. Try and be grateful once in your pathetic life." Glowering at the other man, Saphir defiantly said, "I'm not eating anything."

Jade was slightly taken aback by his disobedience, but he hid it with a shrug. "You will eat this, or I will tie you up and shove it down your throat."

"You can't make me eat it, I'll just vomit whatever it is back up," Saphir exclaimed. His strategy was that if he was annoying and difficult enough, maybe Jade would get fed up and let him go. Who knows if it will work or not, though. He might just get a beating instead.

The colonel stared at Saphir passively for a moment before pushing Saphir back onto the bed, settling his legs on either side of the other, and moving his face very close to Saphir's. "You'll eat," he said in a no nonsense voice.

Saphir tried to say something back, but all that came out was a dismal squeak. He settled for shaking his head and keeping his mouth tightly shut.

Slowly, Jade rested his full body weight onto Saphir and reached under the bed. Needless to say, Saphir was very confused and even blushing. It didn't take long until Jade sat up with some rope in hand, smirking. Saphir swallowed hard. "Jade, what are you…?"

Before the pale haired man could even think about fighting back, Jade tied Saphir's hands together and hooked them onto a bedpost. "Saphir…" he paused to pinch the other's cheek, "I'm Master Curtiss, remember? If you slip up again, I'll start calling you my pet. Even in public." Saphir whined at this and pulled at his hands. Yes. Doomed. Jade pinched Saphir again. "Do you understand me?" Saphir slumped a bit and sighed. "Yes, Master Curtiss, I understand," he submitted quietly.

"Good boy," Jade sarcastically chirped. "Now," he grabbed the stupid sandwich he had prepared, "you _will_ eat."

Huffing, Saphir tried again to reclaim his hands, but to no avail. "Fine. I'll eat that blasted sandwich," he said, frowning. Jade patted Saphir on the head. "Ah, once I've trained you properly, you'll be such a charming pet," he stated, smirking. Saphir opened his mouth to give an indignant reply, but Jade was too quick for him, and he promptly had the sandwich shoved into his mouth.

The brunette watched with satisfaction as Saphir choked a little before giving in and slowly eating the whole thing, with Jade's help of course.

"There… not so bad, right?" Jade was having too much fun with this. It was interesting to have this angry cockroach at his mercy, though. Now, he needed to come up with horrible things for him to do... what a horrid fate Jade had in store for Saphir.

After Saphir had swallowed the last bite, he stared fixedly at his captor. Oddly, he didn't feel like yelling at the fiend, so he just shrugged. "It didn't taste bad, at least."

Jade grinned down at Saphir before getting off of the bed and standing upright. "I'm glad you think so. Though, you'll be the one cooking from now on," he informed the other, "and I want you to clean the halls." Raising an eyebrow at his captor, Saphir retorted with, "I'm tied up at the moment, try again later." Jade eyed the other and let out a mock sigh. "You're no fun when you're calm, Saphir," the brunette said, untying the ropes. "Well, excuse me, Master Curtiss," Saphir huffed, crossing his newly freed hands over his chest.

"You want forgiveness?" Jade asked, smiling evilly.

"Not really, but--"

"Be quiet, pet."

Saphir frowned. Really, this was getting ridiculous. _He'll have me in a cage, next_. _Pet indeed. I'm no one's pet. Stupid Jade. Stupid Peony. _He stood up next to Jade. _Odd, no matter how much I try to seethe, I just can't make myself do it._

"If you want forgiveness, you'll have to beg for it," Jade informed the other, thoroughly enjoying himself. "And," Jade continued before Saphir could reply, "I suggest wanting forgiveness. Good pets get rewards." Though, just what kind of reward Jade had no idea as of yet.

The two men stared at each other for several minutes, each one considering what the other would do. Finally, Saphir sighed, dropped to his knees, and bowed his head. "I'm deeply sorry, Master Curtiss," Saphir began in a monotone, "please forgive your insolent pet." Jade chuckled and placed a hand on Saphir's head. "That will do for now, pet. Feel lucky, for with each transgression the punishment and humbling process will get worse."

Saphir stood up and stared the other man straight in the eyes. "Jade, why are you so mean to me?" he asked, simply. It seemed like Jade was getting an inflated head and too used to the idea that Saphir was his. _I need to find a way out of this! I do _not _want to be Jade's pet the rest of my life. All I want is to be an equal, and at this rate I will never achieve that..._

Jade eyed the fon machinist silently. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself. There was always the rest of their lives, right? Yes. One day, he will have Saphir completely dependent and obedient. Why he wanted that, he couldn't really say, but he did. "Oh, my pet… drop the Curtiss after master, if you please. Never address me like I'm your friend."

_But you are… or were._ Saphir stood, fists clenched and shaking. "Yes, master. Now, if you would please give me a broom and a duster so I can clean your halls?"_And get away from you._

"Why, certainly," Jade said, slowly, wondering what he did to make Saphir react like that. He went to the closet across the hall, grabbed a few cleaning items, and handed them to Saphir, who nodded and went about cleaning.

_Strange…_ Jade thought._That tranquilizer must be affecting him in a way I did not anticipate. Maybe he was allergic?_ He shrugged to himself and decided to read in his study until he felt that Saphir was done.

----------End of chapter two----------

Hah. So, yes, the second chapter. Not too long, right? Sorry about the angst.


	3. In Which Jade Helps His Present

Saphir was working hard at tidying up stupid Jade's stupid halls in his stupid mansion. Polishing a small table, he let his mind wander. _Not address him as a friend, huh? Fine! He is no longer my friend. Not that he ever really was… _He frowned as he thought about it and glanced at his reflection in the table. The most loathsome and pathetic man in Malkuth stared back at him. Sighing, he moved on to sweeping the stupid halls with one of stupid-_idiot _Jade's stupid brooms. _Though… who is the real idiot?_

Jade, oddly enough, was bored. Professor Nebilim used to be fond of the phrase, "only boring people get bored." Clearly that was one of the few things she was wrong about, since Jade Curtiss just isn't boring.

Now, Jade _would_ have gone to bother dear Saphir, but the man seemed rather delicate at the moment. Bizarre. Normally he didn't give much thought to the feelings of bugs, not much at all. Of course, it's not like Jade actually cared about Saphir's pathetic feelings. Quite the contrary: a sad slave is one that does a sad job. That was the only thing keeping Jade up in his study and away from Saphir, as much as he wanted to annoy him. The halls were in desperate need of cleaning.

Indeed they were, Saphir was sneezing constantly from all of the dust in the mansion. Jade must be awfully cheap if he didn't pay to get a maid here even once every six months. Saphir decided to move on to a different part of the hall and try not to sneeze his head off. Walking back to where he had already cleaned, he noticed that he had neglected cleaning a random vase on one of the tables. Nothing special looking, aside from the dead skin cells and all of that coating it.

Sighing, he began to clean the stupid vase (on a stupid table in a stupid hallway in stupid-idiot Jade's stupid mansion). After most of it was clean, he found that there was one spot that wouldn't wipe off no matter what he did, so he wet the rag he was using and scrubbed at the spot as hard as he could. Big mistake. It broke with a loud shattering noise, the top side collapsing into the bottom. It had cut Saphir's hand rather effectively in the process. All Saphir could do was stare at his bleeding hand in shock and mumble, "stupid Jade."

Jade had rushed-no, calmly strode-out of his study when he heard something smash. He marveled at the cleanliness of the halls until he reached Saphir. Bleeding and looking close to tears, Jade actually felt a bit of empathy for the man. Slowly and carefully, as if walking towards an injured animal, Jade went over to Saphir. "What happened?" he asked.

"I was cleaning a vase! There was one spot that wouldn't get clean, so I pressed harder and it broke," Saphir paused to swallow, "and now I'm bleeding," he finished, holding up his hand for Jade to see. The colonel nodded and eyed the remains of the vase. "Saphir… I believe you were scrubbing at a part of the design of the urn, not dirt," he pointed out, smirking to himself. Saphir stared at him blankly. "Not that it matters," Jade continued with a shrug, "let's find a bandage for you."

Saphir followed Jade with no objections. In fact, he was a bit tired of yelling. Tomorrow, he would start being ornery again, but for today he would feign meekness. Soon, Jade stopped in front of a plain white door. He went inside the room, grabbed some bandages, and walked out again. Deciding that his poor pet couldn't actually help himself with these, Jade began to dress Saphir's wound.

An odd feeling welled up in Saphir's stomach. He knew what it was, since he had felt it before, but it didn't make it any less weird. At times like this, Saphir felt as if Jade _did_ care. If only. If only, if only. Stupid Jade! Leading him on like this. Why does he have to be so cruel? By that time, he was squirming a bit and Jade squeezed his hand. "Stop that," he commanded, "unless you want this bandage embedded into your skin." Saphir nodded silently and donned a very pathetic look.

Quickly enough, Jade had finished his work, but he didn't let go of Saphir's hand. Saphir's reaction at the little things were always so funny. Idly, the colonel wondered what would happen if he just went a little closer. Should he or shouldn't he? It seemed that Saphir was already eyeing their hands in confusion, so he decided on it. Jade snaked his other hand around Saphir's waist and pulled him closer.

The now utterly bamboozled Saphir squawked in surprise as he found himself face to face with the man he had previously been cursing. "Wh--what? Why?" he spluttered, blushing madly. He started to try to wiggle away, but Jade held him tightly. No prey was going to escape _his _grasp.

"Do I need a reason?" Jade countered, smirking. As expected, Saphir's response was hilarious. Always good for a touch of amusement. _And perhaps a touch of something else. _Wait a minute. _Now, where had _that _thought come from?_ _No matter._

The pale haired man gave up his feeble struggle. "Usually, one has a reason for doing things," he argued quietly. Jade's face was far too close for comfort. Why, if he just went a little closer… _no, no! Don't think about that. _Blinking in mock surprise, Jade decided not to reply to that, but instead move his face slightly closer to his pet's. Saphir nearly had a heart attack.

_Oh, it's such a difficult choice. Should I do this now or wait until another day when I have no other forms of entertainment? It is getting late… I believe I will just wait until tomorrow._

For once in Saphir's life, without him even knowing it, he ruined one of Jade's plans. Very softly, he pressed his lips against the brunette's. Any sort of anger from Jade would be deemed "worth it" now that he had managed this. How many people could say that they kissed Jade the Necromancer? He didn't linger, though, since Jade was liable to bite his lips off, or some such.

Jade was… surprised, to say the least. He hadn't expected that particular reaction. While Jade knew that Saphir harbored _some _sort of feelings towards him, as it was somewhat hard to miss, he had not thought that Saphir would do something like that. In fact, he felt as if his dominance was a tad threatened. Thinking quickly, he came up with a come back.

Not quickly enough, since Saphir had pulled away when Jade was distracted. "It's, um…" Saphir began, struggling to find the right words for such an awkward situation, "it's late. I think I'll be going back to my so-called room and going to sleep."

Jade frowned vaguely and nodded. "Yes. I'll retire, as well. Good night, Saphir." _Ah. That should have been pet. Oh well._

Already heading towards his room, Saphir called back, "good night, _Jade_." How odd that Jade would just let that slide. _Perhaps I've earned it._ He continued on with a skip in his step into his quarters, collapsed onto the bed, and promptly fell asleep.

Jade watched him go. Of course, he would have to top Saphir tomorrow. New rule. No one kisses Jade the Necromancer and gets away with just the kiss. No one kisses Jade the Necromancer at all, in fact. He must be losing his touch. Shrugging, he headed upstairs, entered his room, got ready for bed, and fell asleep.

And that's how the first horrible day turned out.

--------------------------------------------

Yeah. So, I don't know how long this will be, but... I'll try. It went in a rather strange direction again. Hah


	4. In Which Jade and His Present Go Outside

Jade woke up in the wee hours of the morning, as he usually does, a bit before sunrise. He got up, took a shower, ate a small breakfast, and went to his study to plan for the day. They couldn't just laze about; that wasn't something Jade was fond of. There wasn't any food for dinner, Jade had noted when he acquired his breakfast, so they would go shopping. Hopefully they wouldn't run into Peony today.

Saphir, on the other hand, was planning to sleep--or look like he was sleeping--until Jade came to bother him. There was absolutely no thought as to what would happen that day. He was simply hoping Jade would let him go.

After the sun came up, Jade decided to pour ice water on Saphir to rouse him. Good for a laugh, anyway. He filled a bucket and went into Saphir's room. He slipped in and watched the other man for a moment. Lying on his stomach, his hair all over the place, Saphir actually looked quite peaceful. It was almost a shame to have to do this.

The pale haired man heard Jade's entrance and simply waited for whatever it was that he was going to do. Not that he thought it was going to be pretty, but he might as well start his day by yelling himself hoarse.

From a distance Jade threw the water onto Saphir who, after a nice sounding splash, sat up and spluttered angrily. "Augh! Jade, what was that for?!" he exclaimed hysterically, even if he did know what it was for. Sadly, Jade couldn't keep himself from laughing at his companion. "You look like a wet cat," he said, smirking. Saphir huffed and stood up, frowning at his damp clothes which were now clinging to his skin. "Jade, you're awful and I hate you." Jade's smirk twitched faintly. "Master, you mean, right pet?" he asked teasingly.

"Whatever," Saphir breathed, waving a hand dismissively, "do you at least have some clothes for me to wear? I'll freeze if I keep these on." The brunette pondered for a moment before saying, "all I own wouldn't be in your size. Not that I can have you wandering about naked…" he trailed off. They couldn't go outside, if that happened. "But maybe I have one of my old uniforms. Your scrawny body might be able to hold it up."

"Where is it, then?" the fon machinist asked quietly. Jade swiftly left the room. Blinking in confusion, Saphir decided to at least take his top off. His petals were wilted at any rate. Soon after, Jade came back with an old and faded military uniform that looked just about the same as his own. "Oddly, I was able to find it rather quickly," he stated. Saphir rolled his eyes and snatched the outfit from him.

They stood for a moment. "Well? Are you going to leave?" Saphir asked impatiently. Jade gave him a blank look, "why should I?" "B-because," he stuttered, "I'm going to change." "Yes, I realize that," Jade said calmly. Silence for another moment. Saphir waved his hand in a get-out-of-here motion, "go away for a minute." The colonel shrugged and exited the room. Breathing a sigh of relief, Saphir changed into Jade's stupid uniform.

_It is always so easy to fluster Saphir_, Jade thought, _I should have stayed longer. To make him uncomfortable, of course, not to watch him change…_ Who would want to see Saphir naked, anyway, right? Right.

Stepping out of his room and closing the door, Saphir crossed his arms over his chest. His hair was still wet, but otherwise he was perfectly dry. Jade grinned when he saw the other. "You don't look hideous!" he exclaimed, feigning shock. "Shut up," Saphir weakly replied. Jade shrugged.

"Now, pet, we have to leave the mansion today." "Why?" Saphir asked curiously. "We don't have anything to eat for dinner. You, of course, will be making it, so choose wisely," Jade finished in a sing-song voice.

"Joy," the smaller man mumbled. "Let's go then, shall we?" Jade asked, grabbing Saphir by the collar of his uniform and dragging him towards the door. Squeaking, Saphir didn't try to resist him. Jade opened the door and pushed the other outside. "Such a good boy, not fighting back like that," the colonel sarcastically praised him, patting Saphir on the head.

After giving Jade a deadpan look, Saphir waited until he locked the entry. "Loyal, too," Jade continued, "waiting for me like a good pet." "Just shut up," Saphir whined. Really, though, he could make a break for it. But… he would lose his opportunity to be close to Jade, even if the man was utterly condescending and annoying.

While Saphir was pondering, Jade made his way towards the street. Saphir eventually realized this and went after him. _Ah,_ Jade thought, _perhaps I should buy a leash. At the very least, his reaction would be classic._

In no time at all, they made it to the market. Jade gave Saphir some money and sent him off to get what he needed on his own. Pondering upon what to do at this time, Jade went over and sat on a bench to watch the people of Grand Chokma walk by. After a while, he saw a head of red hair bopping through the sparse crowd. It took Jade a second to realize that it was Luke. Jade stood up and called out to the replica, who stopped bopping and went over to where the voice came from.

"Hey, Jade. Just sitting around? I never knew you were so boring," Luke said cheerfully. Jade, of course, grinned and rose to the challenge. "Why, you know how boring old folks are. After a while, sitting is not only relaxing, it's exciting," he said, sounding equally as cheerful. Luke frowned, since he didn't have a comeback, "yeah, yeah, whatever."

"What are you doing in Malkuth's capital, Luke?" Jade asked politely. This brought the smile back on the young man's face. "I'm here to see Guy. He's always complaining about Peony in the letters he writes, so I thought I'd come and cheer him up!" Jade thought of something malicious to say, but he substituted it with something vaguely less so. "Everyone complains about the Emperor. Are you going to cheer them up, as well?" "But... I don't know everybody…" Luke said, sounding a bit confused.

Chuckling, Jade patted Luke on the shoulder. "Just cheer Guy up, then." "Oh, I will!" Luke exclaimed, nodding to himself, "I have it all planned." Jade raised and eyebrow and then shrugged. "If you say so," he said.

It was during this time that Saphir was wandering about trying to decide what he wanted to make. Eventually, after a few dizzying minutes of running back and forth, he decided on spaghetti. He bought the ingredients, with money to spare, and returned to where Jade had left him. Saphir spotted his captor with that Asch replica--Luke or whatever--and wondered if he should intrude on their meeting. When Jade seems nice to someone, it's a little confusing.

Sadly, Jade seemed able to detect Saphir's presence anywhere. Turning towards his charming pet with a smirk, he said simply, "why, there you are Saphir. I've been waiting." Frowning, Saphir went up to the other and handed him the change. Luke, seemingly forgotten, eyed Dist with dislike. An enemy is an enemy, really, even if Jade seems to have some odd control over him. And if he was strangely wearing one of the Malkuth military uniforms.

"What's this?" Jade asked when presented with the leftover money. "Change… I didn't have to use all of the money," Saphir replied quietly. "Oh, no, keep the change, my dear Saphir, I'm sure you need it," Jade replied, grinning still. Saphir huffed and shoved the money into a pocket of the uniform. "Like I'll ever be hard pressed for eight gald," he mumbled.

"Jade?" Luke queried. "Yes, Luke?" Jade answered without looking at him. "Why is Dist the Reaper listening to what you say? Did you buy him or something?"

Before Saphir could yell at the replica for calling him the Reaper, Jade put a hand on the Rose's mouth to keep him quiet. "I didn't pay for him, Peony gave him to me," he responded.

"Why?"

"Because he thought it would be a good idea for a birthday present."

Luke had to shut his mouth before he asked why again, and Jade was glad for it, as glad as he could be, anyway. "Well," he began instead, "I'll just leave you two alone and go see Guy. Bye, Jade. Bye, Dist the Runny." Jade waved him off, but kept his other hand firmly on Saphir's mouth. No one wanted to hear that stupid rant.

After the redhead had left, Jade took his gloved appendage off of Saphir. "I hate your friends," he said, still seething a little. "And I'm sure that I would hate yours, if you had any. Come along, let's go back to the mansion," Jade said, tugging on the collar of Saphir's uniform.

"It's not even close to dinner, yet," Saphir grumbled, following Jade obediently. Jade shrugged and replied, "there are other things we can do."

_Yeah, right_, Saphir thought, _I'll just be back to cleaning_.

Jade, on the other hand, had strikingly different ideas.


	5. In Which Jade Is In Denial

After arriving back at the mansion, Jade led Saphir into the living room. Saphir grumbled but followed him without question. The two stood silently for a while, one being tired from all of his running around and the other waiting to strike.

Once Saphir started towards a chair, Jade decided to.

He grinned, grabbing the sleeve of his old uniform to keep Saphir near him and standing, and said, "now, my pet, do you remember what you did last night?" The scientist pondered for a moment. "Cut my hand?" he tried, holding his injured appendage up. "No, Saphir," Jade sighed.

Saphir knew what Jade meant--at least, he was fairly sure--but he wanted his companion to admit it. Oh, yes. Not that it was that big of a deal, but Jade had a lot of pride. Honestly, who kisses someone that can kill them? One person, at least, Saphir knew of.

Slightly annoyed, Jade decided to get to the point. His pet didn't seem eager to comply with him, so he would just have to use force. Hopefully to unnerve the other, Jade smirked evilly at him. It achieved the desired effect and Saphir's eyes widened in confusion.

Ah, good, Jade thought as he approached his prey. Now, if he tries to run away, I will just have to tie him down. The brunette was confident that Saphir would enjoy was he was going to do, anyway.

Poor Saphir could only watch as Jade pinned him against a wall. Whining gently, he gave Jade a questioning look. The man only widened his smirk and pressed against the light-haired man, his breath felt on Saphir's lips who blushed madly.

Dammit. I should run away. . . he could just be lulling me into a false sense of security. Oh, but if he's actually going to do what I think he's going to do. . . Saphir didn't get any farther than that, his train of thought completely obliterated when Jade pressed his mouth onto the Rose's.

His heart skipped a beat.

Jade's, that is. Saphir's was pumping hard enough to make it so he could barely hear anything else.

But why had it skipped a beat? In fact. . . why was he getting back at Saphir by kissing him? If it was anyone else, he probably would have hurt them or frightened them into staying a good ten feet away from him at all times. He couldn't actually have those sort of feelings for his runny-nosed friend, could he? No. The Necromancer doesn't fall in that idiotic thing called love.

As if he would never admit it.

At any rate, Jade pulled about an inch away from the scientist. His pet was absolutely flushed and the disappointment of having Jade move away was plastered all over his face. Jade stared at him, trying to be nonchalant, but--Lorelei--Saphir looked good. Not exactly beautiful, more. . .cute.

The colonel couldn't help himself; he quickly went to kiss Saphir's neck, who made an adorable surprised squeak. Jade held the other man's wrists against the wall and nipped at his neck, earning himself another pleased but confused noise from Saphir.

If he lingered any longer he might lose it and drag Saphir to his room, so he let Saphir go and took a step back. The younger man slumped a little and tried to catch his breath.

Jade just stood and watched him, a smirk on his face. "That was a nice way to get you back, wasn't it?" he asked after a moment. "Y-yes. Unless I wasn't supposed to enjoy it," Saphir retorted.

"Oh, no, you enjoying the kiss made it far better for me," he explained. The scientist twitched in disbelief. Jade pondered for a moment before saying, "do you dislike me wanting to see you like that? You look very charming."

Jade paused.

"My charming pet," he announced in a teasing voice.

Saphir groaned unhappily, but nodded in submission.

"There's a good pet. Now, I suggest you go off and start dinner. Should I get candles?" the brunette queried, smiling maliciously.

Instead of answering or complaining, Saphir just went off to start supper. Blinking, Jade decided to simply sit and wait for him.

Oh, and grab some candles. Maybe a nice table cloth. . .

And find something for Saphir to wear.

----------

Sorry that chapters take so long; I'm pretty lazy. Heh, too bad for you guys.


	6. In Which We Learn Odd Things About Peony

While his befuddled pet went about making their dinner, Jade snuck out of the mansion--technically he just walked out the front door without a care in the world, but snuck sounded better to Jade--and made his way over to Peony's palace.

No one would care if he went inside, even if the day was technically over and the fact that it wasn't even a workday. Just because the sun had set didn't mean that the emperor's problems didn't need consulting. Though, it was Jade's problem this time.

Not really a problem, per se, but Peony had the most random outfit collection in Grand Chokma, and probably Malkuth. Jade just couldn't understand it, but no matter.

In no time at all, Jade was in Peony's throne room.

"Ah, Jade. What are you doing here after dark? Work isn't until tomorrow, you know. How do you like your present?" the blonde asked cheerfully, petting the Nephry rappig. Jade ignored the questions and went over to Peony's wardrobe. He opened the doors and started to rummage through the items there.

Really, now. A cheerleader outfit? No good; Jade moved on. Maid? No. Nurse? No. Rappig? No.

Wait a minute.

"Your Majesty…" Jade began cautiously. "Yes, Jade?" "Why do you have a person sized rappig outfit in your collection?" A pause from the other. Jade turned to look at Peony, who was still stroking Nephry. "Well?" Jade tried again.

"Everyone has their kinks, Jade," Peony answered simply. Jade stared at Peony blankly for a moment.

"Jade, it was a joke."

"I don't believe you."

"Then you don't get to take one of those outfits back to Saphir. Which is what I assume you're doing," Jade's rapidly-probably-not-going-to-stay-his-best-friend-anymore said with a grin. The colonel shrugged and went back to his search.

Gothic lolita outfit? No.

Ballerina outfit? No.

Strange black lingerie? No.

Cat ears and a tail? Tempting… but no.

School girl uniform? No.

Nephry's outfit? Why does he even--? No.

Crisscrossing ribbons? No.

"Jade, are you done yet?" "Be patient, Peony."

Flamenco dancer outfit? Goodness no.

Witch's dress? No.

An adult sized version of the outfit that Saphir used to always wear? Fine. Just as long as Jade got to leave as soon as possible, and this way it isn't something for sex.

"Found one, have you?" Peony questioned when Jade retreated from his wardrobe. "Indeed I have," the colonel answered and left the room without giving His Highness another thought.

As Peony watched the door shut behind his friend, he heard an odd squealing come from the other side of the room. "If Jade's hurting Saphir again…" the blonde began.

No, what was happening was something that probably_looked_ painful but wasn't. Though, Peony didn't really enjoy watching his rappig's mate. Especially since it just reminded him about how he had accidentally named a female rappig Saphir and how eerily similar his rappigs were to the people he had named them after.

At any rate, Jade soon slipped back inside his residence to the smell of freshly made dinner. Smirking, he entered the kitchen. "Finished, pet?" Saphir, his back facing the other man, mumbled something about not being a pet and nodded.

"There's a good boy. And, look, I've got a present for you," Jade announced, observing closely for Saphir's reaction. The scientist whirled around and instantly spotted the clothes, frowning at them. "Now, I would like you to change into it before we sit down to eat."

"I don't see why I should, Jade. My knees will get cold," he stated, pouting a little. "Never bothered you back in Keterburg. Anyway, we are indoors, how cold could it possibly get?" Jade reasoned.

Saphir hesitated but took the clothes and started to make his way out of the kitchen. Jade nearly called him back to change in front of him--to unnerve Saphir, of course, no other real reason--but he decided to let the pale-haired man change in his little room. Soon, Saphir came back flushed with embarrassment. Jade eyed the other man's legs for a moment before smirking at him. "You've set the table, I assume," Jade told Saphir who nodded.

They sat across from each other at the table, Jade taking off his gloves, and began to eat quietly. Watching Saphir suck up the noodles, however, was very entertaining. He managed to get sauce on his nose with every try. He had to stop watching before he started outright laughing at his poor pet.

But Saphir started making little angry noises with every failed try of not getting anything on his face. The colonel tried to finish his portion as fast as he could so he could stare at the other. The sounds were almost enough to make him go over to Saphir and help him eat.

Actually, that didn't sound like a bad idea. Jade finished his plate and brought a chair right next to Saphir who looked at him, sauce on nose, with a confused look.

"Let me help you before you get sauce all over your face," Jade said, grabbing Saphir's fork and placing his hand on the other man's knee. A blush soon appeared on Saphir's cheeks and Jade smirked at him before twirling some noodles around the fork and holding it up to Saphir.

"Say 'aah'," he commanded. The other obeyed and had a forkful of food shoved in his mouth. Pulling the utensil out, Jade watched Saphir chew. As soon as he swallowed, Saphir said, "Jade, I'm full, I don't want to eat anymore…" A frown appeared on Jade's face, but he relented and put the fork down to instead get a napkin. He wiped Saphir's face clean.

"Goodness, Saphir, I'm amazed that you haven't mastered spaghetti. Not that the food wasn't good, but eating it…" he trailed off, grinning. Saphir pushed back his chair and got up. "As long as you're here, I suppose I don't have to worry about it, huh?" Saphir countered.

It was then that Jade noticed how tight the shorts were around Saphir's hips. The legs were loose, but around the crotch and seat…

Saphir noticed him staring and his face turned a nice shade of pink. He decided to turn and try to leave, but as soon as he did Jade had grabbed onto Saphir's wrist. Standing up himself, Jade pondered for a moment before leading Saphir back into the living room.

Jade lightly pushed Saphir into a chair and stood about a foot away from it. Although he didn't have a _plan_ Saphir seemed to think that he did. Which was just how he liked things.

"So, Saphir. Tell me, do you like or dislike me?" Jade asked, feigning innocence.

The younger man began to fidget. Now, he could go on a rant about how much he hates Jade for betraying him and nearly killing him several times. On the other hand, Saphir knew that ever since he was little he had always liked Jade. Loved, really, but he couldn't tell Jade that. And if he went off on how much he disliked the other, the random kissing and other physical contact might stop.

What to do…

Jade had all night, really, and he would wait until Saphir had an answer.


	7. In Which The Pet Is Teased Several Times

Of course, while Jade had all night, he didn't want to wait that long. He decided that if Saphir didn't tell him anything in the next few minutes that he would kiss him until he did. 

No, wait, that sounds off…

Jade would have to pinch him… or the like. Whatever, it didn't matter, Saphir was going to answer him.

"Come on, pet," the colonel began, "it's a simple question."

Saphir winced, still fidgeting. "W-well, Jade… I don't hate you," he answered, looking at his hands instead of at the other man.

"Oh? Then, what do you think of me?" Jade asked with a wry grin, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Letting out a soft whine, Saphir kept his gaze on his lap.

"Saphir…" Jade took a hand out of his pocket and tilted the other man's head so he could look him in the eyes. "I promise I won't be mad," he assured the other.

The former God-General stared at his companion for a long time. "Jade, I really do like you," eventually spilled from his lips.

The necromancer grinned. "Of _course_ you do, pet. Now, how much do you like me?" he asked teasingly.

"I don't see why I have to tell you, Jade!" Saphir exclaimed, glaring up at him. After actually letting the fact that he liked the other slip out, it was difficult to deal with Jade's stupid taunting.

His brows furrowed, Jade leaned closer to Saphir, their lips mere inches apart. "Oh, but Saphir… how happy it would make me to hear how you feel about me. Who knows what I'd do? Perhaps you wouldn't even be my pet any longer, but my equal. And you could live with me in my mansion for the rest of our lives." Jade knew that he shouldn't say such things--where had they come from, anyway?--but they just came out. And the look on Saphir's face was priceless; his eyes widening, his cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. Yes, this was worth it.

It was difficult from letting his feelings spew forth, but Saphir had kept them inside for so long that actually letting them out would just feel…off. Very, very off. End of the world off, even.

"Jade, do you how long I've held my feelings in? It's going to take more than intimidation to get me to say them," Saphir said, determined.

"Oh, really? What would it take for you to say them?" Jade asked in an innocent tone of voice, allowing one of his hands to cup Saphir's cheeks.

Not wanting to answer, Saphir narrowed his eyes and pouted his lips. Which, of course, was terribly inconvenient to Jade. Should he kiss Saphir again? Those particular lips almost always looked inviting.

But no, he couldn't just give in to the desire. There could be plenty of that at other times. No real rush, except for Jade's own impatience.

The colonel let go of the other man and walked off, confusing said other man immensely. Honestly, what was he doing? It was so difficult to keep up with Jade's antics. Saphir wasn't sure if there was a time that he could read the man. Hopefully Jade wasn't angry with him…

Jade returned swiftly enough anyway. Hands behind his back, he leaned downwards to be just above the other's face. Then he blew some air into Saphir's eyes.

"Wah!" Saphir exclaimed, closing his eyes and rubbing them with his fingers. "What was that for?"

"For this," Jade answered vaguely.

The scientist huffed and opened his eyes only to see a dark blue leash and a bright purple collar around his neck. And, of course, a very pleased with himself looking Jade. Can't forget that.

For a while Saphir could only stare in shock and horror that he was actually leashed. That while ended when Jade tugged on the leash, causing him to jerk forward.

"Now then, pet, you will be on this leash at all times. Yes, even when sleeping, bathing, et cetera," the colonel informed the other. Though, bathing… that might be a bit of a problem at times.

Saphir blinked. "What about when you go to work?" If he was going to be tied to a pole somewhere to wait for "Master Curtiss" to come home, he might have to strangle himself with the leash.

Ah, he hadn't thought about work. "Hmm… well, pet, I'm sure Peony would be okay with it if I brought you to work. In fact, you could sleep on that nest he seems to have made in my office," Jade said, smirking. If he actually went through with this, a muzzle might be in order.

"Jade, that's not fair! And besides, I bet that nest smells like rappigs," Saphir argued, pouting.

Chuckling, Jade backed up a bit and yanked on Saphir's leash, signaling to him that it was time to stand up, now. "Oh, pet, I know for a fact that the nest smells like rappigs."

Saphir, of course grumbling under his breath, allowed himself to be led to the master bedroom, but he really didn't want to go inside. "I'm sleeping on the floor, am I?" he asked dryly.

"No, no. You're sleeping in the bed with me," Jade answered, grinning evilly. Having him sleep on the floor would allow him to look around for sharp objects to cut the leash with, you see. It wasn't as if Jade _wanted_ to have Saphir in his bed.

"You want me to sleep with you?" the smaller man queried before he had thought his phrasing through. Therefore, in response to his own accidental use of slang, Saphir blushed darkly. He managed to stammer, "I-- I mean--!" before Jade cut him off.

"Why, of course, pet. You're sleeping in my bed, so you have to sleep with me," he said innocently.

It took a while for Saphir to process that, but in the end he decided that Jade was just teasing him. Which was only half true, but Saphir didn't need to know that.

So, Saphir decided to pout and wait for Jade to open the door, which he did with one of his irritating smiles.

The pair walked in and Jade went off to get some pajamas for Saphir, actually dragging the other along with him during his search. They found some of Jade's old pajamas that were just small enough for Saphir not to be drowning in them. The colonel then let go of Saphir's leash and proceeded to remove the top of his outfit, causing his pet to release a small squeak of surprise before turning around to do the same.

Luckily for Jade, he has always been rather quick with dressing and undressing so he was able to turn around and watch Saphir. Fortunately again, he caught him while he was bent over and starting to pull up the bottoms. He took his time examining Saphir's underwear. Not time enough, as far as he was concerned, since the other pulled his pants up soon after the time had started. Next came the shirt, but that wasn't nearly as interesting.

Grabbing Saphir's leash again, Jade decided to actually smile at him. No grin or smirk, but a real smile. "Ready to sleep with me, pet?"

Saphir just blushed and let out an annoyed huff.

------------

There. Sorry I took so long. I am very, very lazy. Just be glad I got this up at all, really. :D And, hey, not really a cliffhanger. Aren't you glad? Yes, I know you are. And now I don't feel guilty about not updating. XD


	8. In Which Two Dreams Are Dreamt

It took a while for Jade to coax--it was more like force--Saphir into bed. Once he had managed this, Saphir seemed to get comfortable very quickly. They laid side by side together underneath a pale blue blanket. Saphir had tried to face away from the colonel, but Jade wouldn't let him. Just to be safe, Jade wrapped the leash around his wrist.

Saphir fell asleep almost instantly, causing Jade to chuckle quietly. He looked rather adorable when he was asleep, Jade noted. Eventually, he managed to fall asleep as well. 

Oddly enough, they both had dreams that night. The fon machine enthusiast's dream was a simple one. He had had this dream several times before.

-----

Saphir was running through a wind-swept field of flowers, chasing after someone. Eventually he realized it was Jade, and he called out to the other man, telling him to wait, who looked back, smirked, and kept walking away from him. Usually he lost sight of Jade, but this dream was different. Suddenly Jade stopped walking and turned around fully, waiting for the other. Saphir grinned wide and tackled him in a hug.

----- 

In the waking world, Saphir had actually wrapped his arms around Jade, clinging to him tightly.

This, obviously, disturbed Jade's dream.

-----

Jade was walking in the snow. Pure, white, untouched snow. He was marring the snow, of course, but he was never one to truly attempt to keep something innocent. As he walked along, he noted that he couldn't hear anything. Not even his boots crunching in the snow.

Soon he noticed a change around him. Instead of the untainted white of the landscape, Jade saw the snow becoming speckled with blood. Frowning, he casually looked up for a source. He might have gasped when he saw it, he honestly couldn't tell, but there it was. The Nebilim replica stood over the bodies of some men--presumably seventh fonists--taking what she needed to keep from breaking apart.

Sighing gently, Jade sought to take his eyes off of the horrible sight by looking to a forest almost parallel from where the replica stood.

In between the trees he saw a flash of faint purple hair next to a brunette. He cursed mentally, knowing that the two were watching the replica. Little Saphir was tugging on Jade Balfour's arm, trying to get the other to run with him, but little Jade stayed put.

Now, honestly, Jade wanted to run over there and shove them into the right direction, but he had realized that this was a dream and he was somewhat interested as to how this would turn out.

Little Jade suddenly left little Saphir, stepping out into the open, walking right up to the replica. Jade wanted to shout at him or grab him and shove him back into the forest, but he couldn't move. And even still he couldn't hear anything.

The sight of a spray of blood and a crumpled body caught him by surprise. It was an odd thing, seeing yourself decapitated and dead in the snow with what looked like someone you respected and admired grinning down at your corpse.

It was then that Jade finally heard something. An ear splitting scream was coming from little Saphir. Jade turned to look at him, seeing Saphir's tear stained face--his nose running a bit--and his face completely pale. The normally stoic colonel's heart wrenched at the sight.

The replica looked up from its latest kill and slowly stalked towards the forest, intent on killing the last living thing for miles around. Which it achieved. _Poor Saphir never had a chance_, Jade pondered, _why did I leave him like that?_

Though Jade didn't have much time to think about it; the replica was advancing towards him. Before he could so much as blink, it was on him. Clinging to him tightly, smiling evilly with blood dripping down what was once only the professor's face.

-----

Jade awoke abruptly in a cold sweat, jumping a bit when he realized that something was still clinging to him. Luckily it was only Saphir. Smiling awkwardly, he started to stroke the other's hair.

They laid together, one asleep and one awake until dawn. Upon which time, Jade heard a loud knock on the door.

Frowning, he shook Saphir awake. He simply blinked up at him sleepily and snuggled into Jade again. The brunette chuckled and pinched the younger man, who squeaked and woke up fully, blushing madly when he found that he had been clinging to Jade.

They both got up--Jade nearly had to drag his pet out of bed--and went to open the door. And whose smiling face greeted them so early in the morning?

"Oh, it's you, Peony…" Jade grumbled.

"Yes, good morning, Jade!" Peony exclaimed, beaming. "Guess what?"

Saphir could only stand at Jade's side, staring at the so-called emperor with a confused look.

"What is it? Is it you promising that you'll leave my house and never return?"

Peony waved a hand dismissively, "oh, Jade, don't be silly. I came to tell you that Saphir is pregnant!"

Silence.

"…what?" the pair asked Peony at the same time.

"Saphir. Is pregnant," he repeated with a smile.

Jade rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Peony, did you fail basic biology? Saphir is male, he can't get pregnant…"

"No, no. Jade, you're so silly, Saphir is female."

"I am not female!" Saphir nearly shrieked.

Peony stared absently at the flustered man. "No, you're not female. But my Saphir is female."

_Now_ it clicked.

"The stupid rappig…?" Saphir asked before Jade silently shut the door in his friend's face.

Sighing, Jade began to lead Saphir back into the master bedroom. "Let's get ready for work, shall we?"

"What do you mean, 'let's'? I'm just here for the ride," Saphir stated, pouting.

"Yes…" Jade said with a smirk. "Just here for the ride."


End file.
